


Bad Moon Rising

by YumishioriRhul



Category: Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Alternate Universe - Library, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Little bit of angst, M/M, Mafia AU, Mafia torture, Smut, Tagged Explicit For Later Chapters, Trans!Nezu, Trans!Piers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-10
Updated: 2020-09-17
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:15:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26383984
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YumishioriRhul/pseuds/YumishioriRhul
Summary: When Piers finds a baby next to his Library, he's not sure what to think besides trying to save it. Little does he know what exactly he's gotten himself into.
Relationships: Dande | Leon/Nezu | Piers
Comments: 6
Kudos: 17





	1. The Beginning

The soft, distressed wails of an infant caught Piers’s attention. He turned his head to the left, taking his eyes off the doorknob and his keys. His eyes landed upon a babe, not even swaddled or left in a basket. It was like whoever abandoned the baby could have cared less if it lived. Piers pulled his keys out of the lock and quickly rushed over to the newborn.    
  
“Oh, sweet one…” he cooed softly, quickly wrapping the infant in his jacket to try and warm it. Piers straightened out, making sure he had the little one firmly in his arms before rushing over to a Corvitaxi. He gave the driver his address and rocked the newborn in his arms. The poor thing was so cold. He hoped the ride would be short, knowing he needed to do more to help this tiny being get better. “I bet yer ‘ungry too…” Piers sighed as he rocked the baby gently.    
  
Who could do such a thing? Abandoning a poor babe next to a small library. Piers couldn’t understand how anyone could be that cruel. Especially when fall had just started a few days ago. The air was starting to chill and Piers could only hope he got to the little one fast enough. He did his best to keep the infant warm, worry gripping his chest tight.    
  
Before he knew it, the Corvitaxi had landed. He’d been so caught up in the newborn’s current state that he hadn’t realized just how much time had truly passed. As he reached for his wallet to pay the driver, he paused. Piers pat his pants legs with one hand before growling in frustration. He pulled out his phone before calling his mom.    
  
Luckily, she was at work at the Pokecenter, so she was able to meet up with him and pay for the taxi. After she had, they both quietly walked into Spikemuth’s shuttered gates. “Thanks mum… I can’t believe I lost my damn wallet…”    
  
Arabella reached over and rubbed his shoulder, “It happens, Starshine. Let’s get this we’an back to the house.” She beamed at him, “After a bit of a detour.”   
  
Piers raised his brow at her but he knew better than to ask questions. Instead, he just nodded and followed Arabella down the winding streets.   
  
**   
  
Leon growled as he reached the little library near the Pokecenter. She’d sworn this was where she dumped the baby! The worst part was the damn woman hadn’t told him about the infant until tonight! He’d bury that woman six feet under if that newborn had died! He stomped closer to the entrance of the building, pausing when he stepped on something.    
  
Leon looked down and found a plain wallet under his shoe. He quirked a brow and picked it up before looking through it. The first thing he did was look at the ID. Piers O’shea.    
  
Wait.    
  
O’shea?   
  
No, that couldn’t be the same O’shea. Leon shook his head, leafing through the sleeves and pockets of the wallet. This guy didn’t have jack shit for money. Just how poor was this man? He looked at the address on the ID and let Char out of his ball. He showed the pokemon the address and climbed onto his back. When they reached the area, Char started to make a descent. Leon stopped the pokemon, spotting Piers easily. He was patting himself and holding an obvious bundle in his other arm.    
  
Piers had the baby.    
  
Well, this was quite the predicament. Leon made the split-second decision that the little one was in better hands with Piers than himself, despite knowing he didn’t make much. Then he looked at the wallet in his hand again. Well, he was originally going to leave the wallet and some cash on Piers’s front step…    
  
“Char, let’s go home.” The pokemon growled in question. “The baby will be fine, besides… I need to do some research.” he smiled and pat Char’s neck. The Pokemon nodded and turned around, taking them back to Wyndon. Piers was about to get some help, whether he wanted it or not.   
  
**   
  
Piers sighed as he settled into the chair, rubbing the infant’s back. He’d been originally worried that the baby wouldn’t latch to him, but the moment he did Arabella insisted on making him a late-night dinner. Piers found himself actually happy over his recent “accidental” pregnancy. “Accidental” because his crazy ex was poking holes in the condoms and insisting Piers stay off birth control. He’s glad he got out of there, but not happy about the miscarriage his ex caused.    
  
Piers would never have that baby, but here he had another little one who needed him. Zelkova, he’d named the infant. Zel was contently nursing off Piers and he was glad for it. He wasn’t sure how long the newborn had been without food. Piers also decided he’d change the babe’s diaper once he was finished eating.    
  
Piers was worried about a number of things, but at the top of that list was providing for Zel. He owned a book store and his own flat. The money the book store brought in was barely enough to pay for that outrageous property tax that Wyndon had. It’s why he made music on the side, but even that was only barely paying for his flat. Piers worried about being able to afford things for the baby.   
  
“Gonna ‘ave t’ get a new I.D. too…” He rested his head back against the couch and stared at the ceiling.    
  
“Ye sure ye didn’t want yer da’ to get ye a temporary I.D.? He coulda done it easily, since he was getting th’ adoption papers for ye.” Arabella set a steaming hot bowl of chicken and dumplings down on the table for Piers.    
  
“Yea, I can go out an’ get a new one this weekend, it’s no big deal. Besides… I didn’t want anythin’ that might be illegal.” Piers sat up, grabbing his food off the table carefully with one hand.    
  
“I know Starshine.” Arabella kissed his forehead. “I’m going to head back home. If you need anything-”   
  
“I promise ‘ll call.”    
  
She looked pleased by his answer, “luv ye Starshine.”   
  
“Luv ye too mum.” Piers blew on a spoonful of dumplings before eating it. Arabella looked rather content before heading for the door and leaving. The flat went quiet, only filled with the sounds of metal scraping against ceramic. This made Piers realize, as he looked down at Zel, that the baby was rather silent in a lot of things he did. He set his now empty bowl back on the table and relaxed back against the couch. Piers closed his eyes as he rubbed Zel’s back. He made a mental note to get more fabric and thread from the craft store on his way home tomorrow. He was going to need a lot of it if he was going to hand make onesies, spit-up blankets, and a baby bag.    
  
Piers only opened his eyes a few moments later when Zel let go and nestled against his chest. “Done, wee bit?” He grabbed one of the old blankets off the back of the couch and laid it out next to himself with his free hand. As he and his mum had walked home, she’d been insistent on at least getting him diapers for Zel. Like he was going to say no to that. Piers laid Zel on the blanket and grabbed the unopened package from nearby.    
  
♪” There's a place that I go, that nobody knows. Where the rivers flow, and I call it home.”♪ Piers sang quietly as he changed Zel’s diaper. The infant smiled up at him, wiggling his little body to the tune of Piers’s singing. ♪”And there's no more lies. In the darkness, there's light. And nobody cries. There's only butterflies.”♪ Piers made sure the diaper was on Zel securely before he picked the baby up and swayed with him.    
  
The infant nuzzled close to Piers’s chest once again, making a soft content sound. As he looked down at the newborn, Zel yawned real big. “Goodness… sleepy we’an.” He looked up at the clock, “I guess now’s as good a time as any to go to bed.” Piers yawned out the end of his sentence, his legs already carrying him back to his bedroom.    
  
Piers settled on the bed and laid Zel down, giving the infant a plush Zigzagoon so he could fix the bed. He didn’t have a crib for the baby, so he needed to make a safe nest of pillows and blankets for Zel right next to him. As he was fluffing a pillow, he let his Obstagoon out of his Pokeball. “Starchild, can ye go let the Ziggys an’ Linoones out of the egg room? Gonna need ‘em sleepin’ in ‘ere tonight.” Starchild chuffed in response and ambled out of the room.    
  
By the time Piers finished making the nest, his room was filled will nearly a dozen Zigzagoons and Linoones. He laid Zel in the middle of the nest before a meow caught his attention. “‘Ello to ye too, Slash. Wanna check out th’ we’an?” The Litten answered with another meow before marching over to the baby. After thoroughly sniffing over the little one, he curled up next to his right side and mewed faintly, resting his chin lighttly on Zel’s chest. The other Pokemon then followed suit, surrounding the infant but not suffocating him. Starchild waited patiently before laying on the side of Zel that would prevent him from rolling off the bed. With everyone settled in, Piers snapped a quick photo with his shoddy phone and then turned the lights off.    
  
“Goodnight,” Piers spoke softly, laying on the side opposite of Starchild. He tenderly stroked Zel’s back, letting himself drift off slowly.    
  
Maybe he’d get more sleep for once.


	2. The Doubts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Piers has many doubts about Leon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING! A BIT OF A GRAPHIC START TO THIS CHAPTER! MAFIA TORTURE IS NO JOKE!
> 
> Also, thank you [Pizzasitter](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thepizzasitter) for all the help with the scots slang and Scottish Gaelic!

“Tch.”    
  
Fingers pulled on the edges of a pair of deep black gloves hard enough to them snap against skin. Golden eyes, usually as bright as the sun, darkened as they stared at the weakened body before him. Leon had meant to deal with this loose end sooner than later but running Macro Cosmos had kept him too busy to do so. Now though? He had plenty of time to make this man an example to his subordinates.    
  
Leon had heard from one of his most trusted grunts about the coup that was being planned against him. The man who was currently tied to the chair was supposedly one of the main minds behind it. It was hard to believe he was with just how easily he begged the boss to let him off this once. How easily he succumbed to the torture Leon’s underlings had put him through the past few days.    
  
Unfortunately, the man was rather loyal. He’d not told them a lick of information and so now Leon was taking matters into his own hands… quite literally. He cracked his knuckles and squatted in front of the man, his eyes never leaving him.    
  
“Am'fair peched of yer shite. Yer a chancer ya bassa, dinnae talk pish an dinnae lie to me. Ye get one chance. Use it wisely.” His voice was low as he spoke. Leon watched the man tremble as his eyes darted around the room. He was doing his best to look for a way out, but there was none. Leon’s jaw set and he let out a frustrated sigh. He gave the man a silent countdown from ten. When there was no answer and the time was up, Leon let out a deep growl.   
  
Without warning, he grabbed the man’s arm and snapped his wrist backward. A bloody curdling scream echoed throughout the room. Leon didn’t open his mouth to say anything. He was done with all the tiresome games. If the man wasn’t going to talk, he was going to make an example of him right now. Leon didn’t give him any time to recover, placing the sole of his black boot against the man’s shoulder.    
  
Then he pulled.    
  
The sickening pop nearly loud enough to mask the shriek that followed. Leon didn’t stop there, listening as a chorus of pops followed. He only let go of the arm when he knew it was dead. And like hell was he about to dirty his crisp white suit with blood. Leon looked upon the face of a now-dead man. The pain had sent him into shock and with howe week he was already, it ultimately killed him.    
  
How weak. This was supposed to be one of the leaders of the coup against him and he couldn’t even handle a bit of pain? Leon sneered before spitting on the man’s corpse. He didn’t get any information out of him, but he did take out a key player in the game he was being forced into. Peeling his gloves off his hands, he waved to one of his lackeys. He was done here. He had other  _ more important _ matters to attend to.    
  
Like sending Piers another care package.   
  
**   
  
Piers let out a soft sigh as he flipped to the next page of his book. The past two weeks had been… eventful to say the least. A few days after losing his wallet, a package showed up on his doorstep. There was no sender and he was very wary of exactly what it could have been. He even sent Starchild out to inspect it. He was, after all, trained to smell for explosives. Couldn’t be too careful when living in Spikemuth.    
  
Once Starchild had given it his approval, Piers had him bring it in. Color him surprised when he opened the box and the first thing he saw was his wallet. He had only been momentarily distracted by it before he noticed the other items in the package. He’d wondered by such a big thing had been left on his doorstep. Come to find out, it was because there was an unassembled bedside crib included.    
  
As well as more money than he made in a month.    
  
At first, he didn’t want to accept the “gifts” left to him but they just kept coming daily. He was annoyed, originally. How dare someone think he couldn’t provide for himself and his baby! He wasn’t a bloody charity case! After a week of “gifts” on his doorstep, Piers finally just gave in. Maybe they were just trying to be nice, why should he be mad over that? Besides, he wouldn’t have a highchair, block puzzle, baby bath, walker, milk pump, bottles, and baby carrier if not for the anonymous sender.    
  
So, he kept getting gifts daily... and accrued enough money for all the fabric and thread his heart could desire.    
  
Because of this, Zel had a collection of onesies. All of them a wide variety of Pokemon. Currently, he was dressed in his Zigzagoon one and strapped to Piers’s chest. It seemed to be the only way the baby would stop fussing. If he was laid down for too long he’d start pouting and wouldn’t stop until he was in Piers’s arms again.    
  
Speaking of Zel, the moment he’d picked the baby up, Piers had his suspicions on who his dad was. He only felt them further confirmed the moment he saw Chairman Leon on the T.V. screen. Piers immediately felt livid for Zel. How could Leon abandon him and keep smiling? Just how cruel was this man? But Piers knew that wasn’t fully true. In the back of his mind, he knew that Leon wouldn’t hurt a fly. But he couldn’t help but feel Leon was at fault, if not for abandoning the infant, then for not looking for him.    
  
What if Leon didn’t know about Zel?   
  
There was the kicker. If Leon didn’t know about Zel, what was Piers to do about it? He knew the moment Leon saw the baby, he’d know Zel was his. What if Leon wanted to take the little one away from him? That made Piers’s stomach flip and he suddenly felt sick at just the thought of losing Zel. But if Leon did know…   
  
Well, Piers wasn’t going to let him hear the end of it, that’s for sure!   
  
He huffed as he set his book aside, no longer able to concentrate on the words on the page. Piers looked over the edge of the counter he sat behind as he checked on his customers. He could hear soft whispers. Quirking a brow, his teal eyes scanned the little library. Then he saw him.    
  
Leon was here.    
  
What was Leon doing here? He seemed partially lost and partially embarrassed. Piers overheard a pair of women talking, one making a comment about just how  _ good  _ Leon was looking today. He had to agree with her though. The taller man was in a white button-down, the sleeves rolled up, black slacks, and black boots. Leon was eye candy to any and all who looked at him.    
  
He had to know he was sticking out like a sore thumb, right?   
  
Piers went back to looking distracted as Leon approached the counter, only getting up when the other man gently set his book on the counter. He paused as he noticed the title on the spine. It was a baby book. So he did know. Leon must’ve known the look he would get from Piers with how sheepish he looked. Sighing and shaking his head, Piers checked in the book.   
  
“...Shaoil mi gum biodh e ann an làmhan nas fheàrr.” Leon rubbed at his arm as he looked away. “Tha mi ag iarraidh beatha mhath dha.” The smile that he gave Piers didn’t belong on his face. Not in Piers’s opinion anyway. It was laced with something deeply anxious and he didn’t like it.    
  
“My Gaelic is a bit rusty, to be fair… but I think I get the gist o’ what ye said.” Piers held the book out to him. “If ye really believe he’s better w’ me, then far be it from me to disagree w’ ye.” He watched as Leon took the book, the look on his face easing into that natural carefree grin. “But I gotta know, why get a baby book if ye don’t intend to take ‘im from me?”   
  
“Well, I was hoping it’d be okay if visited him sometimes? I don’t want him to think I abandoned him like his mother did.”    
  
“Can’t argue w’ a reason like that an’ I see no ‘arm in ye visitin’ Zel whenever ye feel like.” Piers moved to sit back down in the chair, gently running his fingers through the baby’s curls.    
  
“So you named the wee bairn, Zel?” Leon’s voice was soft, tender.    
  
Piers nodded and looked up at him. “Zelkova actually, but it’s easier to call him Zel.” He watched as Leon rested his cheek on his knuckles, looking at Zel fondly. “Ye need anythin’ else? I assume ye need to ‘ead back to th’ office soon… yea?”   
  
As if snapping out of trance, Leon straightened up. He opened his mouth before closing it. Leon did that a few times before….“Would you like to get dinner this weekend?” Leon blurted then turned five different shades of red.    
  
Piers blinked in surprise, “is this because I-”   
  
“No! No… not because of Zel. I swear! I just… I want to get to know you.” Leon looked away and scratched the back of his head. “I understand if you don’t want to…”   
  
Piers looked at him thoughtfully before pulling out his phone. “Looks like ‘m free friday. There’s a nice lil’ cafe in Hammerlocke we can go to at… mmm… seven sharp?” Piers looked up at Leon again.    
  
Leon beamed so brightly, Piers thought someone put a skylight in his library without his permission. “Okay! I’ll see you then!”    
  
As Piers watched Leon leave, he couldn’t help but wonder what intentions Leon might have with dating him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Literal translations lack the depth of the language. When Leon says, "Shaoil mi gum biodh e ann an làmhan nas fheàrr" his meaning is that he thinks his child will be in better hands than his own with Piers. And "Tha mi ag iarraidh beatha mhath dha" is him wanting a good life for his son, as any parent would.
> 
> (Thanks again Pizzasitter for the help!)


	3. The Issue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Piers and Leon go on a date, but things go a bit south

The past three weeks had been extra busy for Piers. After that first date with Leon, he’d gone on multiple with him. As in, two to three dates a week. Piers wasn’t going to complain, they’d been fun and not too over the top. Tonight though… well, Leon had asked Piers to wear something semi-formal. He knew that eventually, they’d probably go to some fancy dinner. Leon made quite a bit of money and he’d probably see this as spoiling Piers. Even though Piers didn’t feel very comfortable spending that much money in one night. Despite his own feelings, Piers decided that he’d give the place a shot. It had to be very good if Leon wanted him to go.   
  
Over this last handful of dates, Piers had gotten to know Leon pretty well, and the same could be said for Leon. Piers hadn’t shared this much about himself with another person in  _ years. _ Hell, he couldn’t remember the last time he had this much fun or felt this good about himself. Leon really made him happy.    
  
Piers looked over himself in the mirror. He fixed the fuchsia-colored zip-up hoodie over his white button-up. He didn’t look terrible, but this was definitely something he’d typically wear for work. Hopefully, Leon would think this was dressy enough. Piers fluffed out his hair some, deciding he’d leave it down for the time being. He’d done his makeup earlier but opted to keep his face jewelry out. He didn’t want to come home, forget it was in, and have Zel accidentally rip it out.    
  
Letting out a slow, deep sigh, Piers walked into the living room to grab his bag. He smiled as he looked into the kitchen where Arabella and Zel were. Weaning Zel off breast milk when he hit seven months had been quite easy. He really loved his fruits and the look of awe on his face every time he tried something new made Piers smile. It was really entertaining to figure out which foods the baby liked and which ones he didn’t.    
  
“Mum, ‘m ‘eadin’ out now!” He called, grabbing Arabella’s attention. She smiled at him as Zel kicked and waved excitedly at Piers. “Thanks again for watchin’ ‘im.”   
  
“Ye know it’s no big deal, Starshine! Have fun!” She beamed as she looked at Zel, “Tell papa bye-bye, Zel.” she helped the infant wave his hand at Piers. He chuckled and waved back heading out of the house. The walk out of Spikemuth to the Corvitaxi was short. It seemed to always get shorter and shorter. Was he walking faster?    
  
He shook his head, getting into the taxi and giving the driver the place he was going to for dinner tonight. He spent the long flight from Spikemuth to Wyndon a nervous wreck. Piers worried about being underdressed. What if this wasn’t enough? Maybe he should have used some of the money he had saved up from the anonymous person for a suit…   
  
No, that was for Zel, and he’d save up as much of it as he could so Zel had a good college to go to when he got older.   
  
He was so anxious he barely registered that the taxi landed. He blinked and blushed lightly as he got out, paying the cabby. He looked around the street he was on for the restaurant. When he realized the place was a pub, Piers found himself physically relaxing and suddenly intrigued. He shot a quick text to Leon, telling him that he was there before entering the place. Leon was always so easy to spot in a crowd due to his hair color. Piers quickly approached the table after he found Leon and sat across from him.    
  
“Lookin’ good, luv.” He took his jacket off and hung it on the back of the chair.    
  
“Not as good as you.” Leon licked his lips and grinned at Piers. No matter what, Leon never failed to make him blush.    
  
“Ye don’t mean that.” Piers lifted the menu so Leon couldn’t see how red he was getting.    
  
They slipped into relative silence, and once the waitress came by, they placed their orders. From there they eased into light conversation. It started on the topic of how work went for Leon, which always seemed to be the same. Stressful but productive. Then it’d lead to the Library and Piers noticed over the last few dates that it seemed to always be to the main focus of their conversations. Piers wouldn’t deny that talking about his little library always made him feel relaxed.    
  
As always he told Leon things were good, making the same amount of money as he always had been. The reason he never saw higher profits was due to missing a lot of the rarer tomes or first editions of many books. He couldn’t afford any of the ones he found online. Not even ones he found in Stow-On-Side when he got lucky enough. It wasn’t like he hadn’t tried to save up for one or two… it’s just that every time he did, he ended up having something happen to his flat or the store and the money ended up going to that instead.    
  
As the night went on, Piers did his best to try and steer them to more… adult-like topics. When they hit a lull in their conversation about the library, he’d open his mouth to try and flirt only to lock up. Arceus, why was this suddenly so bloody hard? Leon didn’t seem to notice, thankfully. Piers, however, was frustrated with himself. Flirting isn’t that hard, and if he didn’t flirt then they weren’t going to get anywhere past these dates!   
  
And he didn’t dress up only to have nothing happen tonight!   
  
Crimson tinted his cheeks at his own thoughts. It’d been way too long since he’d been in someone’s bed. Or had anyone in his. So he’d hoped to steer them in the right direction. He thought them far enough into their relationship that they could finally be more intimate with each other besides kisses here and there.    
  
Before Piers knew it, Leon was paying their cheque and they were exiting the building. He missed his chance. There was no way he’d be able to guide them that way tonight unless he acted on a whim. And doing that just wasn’t really his thing. Instead, he remained silent as he held onto Leon’s arm, following him down the street. Piers made sure their walk to the Corvitaxi parking lot was slow. He really didn’t want tonight to end like this.    
  
Luckily, (or maybe unluckily?) the night was far from over.   
  
So lost in his thoughts, Piers didn’t notice the man tailing them. It was only when Leon moved him, taking a knife to his bicep, that Piers realized he was in danger. He was so shellshocked that he froze in place. Piers was only able to watch on as Leon grabbed the man with his good arm, slamming him down onto the street hard. The guy had no time to recover as Leon pinned him with his boot.    
  
Leon snarled something that Piers couldn’t make out, unsure if it was straight up Gaelic or Scots slang. His brain just wasn’t keeping up with the situation at hand. Leon put more pressure on the man’s spine with his boot, growling. Piers had never seen him like this and at first, it scared him. But the longer he watched, the more turned on he got. Arceus, what the fuck was wrong with him?!   
  
The realization snapped him out of his daze. He quickly moved over to Leon and gently grabbed his good arm.    
  
“Wait! Wait… he ain’t worth it!” His voice seemed to bring Leon out of his boiling anger. Piers watched as he kicked the man hard in his ribs before texting someone.    
  
“I gotta wait here… if you need to head back-”   
  
“No! No way in th’ seven ‘ells am I leavin’ ye ‘ere w’ yer arm like that!” Piers pulled his hoodie off, ripping the end of one of the sleeves before tying it on Leon’s arm to try and stop the bleeding. Piers then coaxed him to lift his arm up. “Bloody ‘ells, Lee… are ye godsdamn mafia or some shite?” he hissed.    
  
Leon laughed a bit, “Guess the cat’s out of the bag…”    
  
Piers didn’t know how to feel about that. Leon was Mafia. He guessed he shouldn’t be surprised. Rose did seem to be in more pockets than was normal for a politician and with Leon inheriting all his things…   
  
Everything made so much more sense now. Especially as a thuggish looking man ran over to them. Piers tensed up, ready to fight this time, but Leon gently pat his shoulder. He watched Leon give the guy orders and soon the lackey left with their attacker in tow. Piers looked up at his date, “Yer place is closer, we should ‘ead back there. I want to take care o’ yer wound.”   
  
“You sure you don’t want to-”   
  
“I ain’t goin’ ‘ome until I know yer okay.” Piers was stubborn. Forget any other plans he originally had, he was worried about Leon’s health.    
  
The smirk Leon flashed him sent a shiver down his spine. “So caring… you could always work for me, Piers. You’ll make so much money-”   
  
“No, ‘m okay…” Piers averted his eyes as he walked with Leon back to his place. Piers was pretty sure the dark, lust-filled look Leon gave him shouldn’t be turning him on so damn much.   
  
But, Arceus, it  _ was _ .


	4. The First Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Piers and Leon get intimate for the first time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SMUT CHAPTER!!!! Hope you guys enjoy~
> 
> thank you, once again,[Pizzasitter](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thepizzasitter)! They helped me write out this chapter and even edited it. Please go give their fics some love! <3

How they'd ended up on Leon's bed, Piers couldn't remember. They had come back to his penthouse so Piers could patch up Leon's arm. He'd insisted on doing so, and his master bath had all the first aid they’d needed. Piers had been very careful stitching the gash left in Leon's bicep, disinfecting and wrapping it afterward.   
  
Leon with his kit off was a lovely sight, to be sure. All muscle and skin and scar. And yet, somehow, he hadn’t expected to be on his back with his hair fanned out beneath him as he stared up at Leon, wondering what his next move was going to be.   
  
"Are you certain I can't convince you to come work for me?" Leon asked cheekily, nodding to the bandages. "You're a fair hand at this."   
  
Fair in many ways, in fact. Of feature and in how he made his care for others so apparent. He let his eyes wander along Piers' form, delighting in the sight of this man in his bed.   
  
"I could make it worth your while," he said, voice low, leaning down to brush his lips along the other's jaw.   
  
Piers's breath hitched and his eyes fluttered closed.   
  
"And 'ow... 'ow do ye plan to do that?" he asked softly. His mind raced at the implications of the offer, and the fact Leon was just so bloody close to him. He opened his eyes again to look at the man leaning over him.   
  
Leon grinned, biting lightly at his neck. Weeks of waking sticky, somehow more frustrated than before, and trying to keep his hands to himself were making it a challenge not to throw all semblance of care to the curbside.   
  
But he did so  _ love _ a challenge.   
  
"I could pay you in books," he teased. "All the first editions and rarities you could ever want."   
  
He brushed a thumb over Piers' cheek, smiling at the thought of him and Zel asleep on one of the couches in the library, surrounded by anything Piers wanted.   
  
It should be alarming, how easy it was to imagine.   
  
Leon had never been very good at heeding caution. He'd yet to regret that way of living and he wasn't about to start.   
  
"Or perhaps," he continued, taking Piers' hands in his and raising them over his head, wrapping the librarian’s fingers around the bars of the headboard. An unstated command to leave them there. "There's something else you might want. I'm open to negotiation."   
  
Despite the playful way Leon spoke, he had Piers' attention at the mention of new books for his library. It was no secret to Leon that Piers had been struggling to find certain things. The idea of Leon’s reach and influence tempted Piers thoroughly.   
  
He snapped back to reality when his hands were lifted above his head, not daring to move his fingers from their placement as his eyes remained on Leon.   
  
The implications were apparent.   
  
"It would seem to me..." he said, shifting his body slightly, "that yer already plannin' on doin' what we both want right now, even if I  _ don't _ agree to work for ye."   
  
His voice was hardly a whisper, hoping he was right.   
  
Leon laughed, sliding his hands down the other's chest, opening the buttons of his shirt slowly.   
  
"Could leave you just like this," he said casually, lost for a moment in the thought of it. Another time, perhaps, if Piers decided his courting was worth something. He kissed each bit of new skin exposed, until he leaned back again to take in the sight of him. So lovely, laid out for him like a feast.   
  
"But I'd be lying if I said you didn't have the right of it. Want you so badly," he murmured, kissing the corner of Piers' mouth. "I suppose I'll have to convince you another day."   
  
He rolled his shoulders, testing the aches and pains before he ran a hand through his hair, pleased by how thorough Piers' work had been.   
  
"Let me thank you instead for services already rendered," he said, holding eye contact until he sank down enough on the bed to rub his cheek over Piers' stomach.   
  
The words sent a shiver down Piers' spine, as did every press of lips to exposed flesh, his thoughts halting at the way Leon looked at him. If there was one thing Piers hated the most about himself, it was how easily he blushed. It wouldn't be quite so bad if not for the fact that it always covered nearly his whole body.   
  
And it only deepened at the very near kiss to his lips.   
  
"Ye won't 'ave to convince me too much if yer serious about those books," he said, biting his lip when Leon lowered to his belly. "Mm, stop teasin’…please?"   
  
He did his best not to whimper. How many nights had he dreamed about this? About finally being close to Leon? He was close now…   
  
Leon snickered, a mock-pout in his expression. "Of course it's the books that do it for you." His hands slid down the other's belt as he nipped at the curve of his sides, noting how sensitive they must be for Piers to tremble like that. To plead with him like that.   
  
He’d never been able to deny such a request.   
  
_ Dangerous _ , he thought, a shiver running up his spine in the best of ways.  _ You could bat your eyes at me and have anything you wanted. _ _   
_ _   
_ He unbuttoned the tight denim and slipped a hand beneath, breathing out slowly as he stroked a finger down to feel Piers through the fabric of his…   
  
"Oh,  _ pretty thing _ ," he crooned, unable to help how rough his voice was when he felt lace under his fingertips. "Did you dress up for the occasion?"   
  
"I— _ ah _ !" Piers couldn’t stop the sound from escaping. His breath hitched, needing more. "Could ye blame me if I did?" He gritted his teeth.   
  
It had been way too long since Piers shared a bed with anyone. The last bloke had been bloody mental and Piers did all he could not to think about him. Especially not right now, not when he was under the lust-filled gaze that Leon pinned him with.   
  
Leon made a pleased sound, roughly pulling the trousers the rest of the way off and tossing them aside. "Fuck," he cursed under his breath, a hunger in his chest that demanded it be satisfied by those long legs locked around him. He nosed further down, getting his hands on soft thighs, parting them wide. So much skin to mark up, so little time before his patience would inevitably run out.   
  
He bit down hard, sucking a bruise he could come back to another day, a little reminder that would chafe and ache a bit when Piers got dressed in the morning, and it only served to make Piers whine and whimper in want, his breath picking up.   
  
His next bites were gentler, tiny nips and licks for every stroke of his fingers against lace and the wet heat that was slowly starting to seep through.   
  
"Let me?" He murmured, mouth just at the edge of the lace, his control tenuous at best with the scent of Piers' excitement egging him on and the taste of him just out of reach.   
  
Piers couldn't help the gasp that left him, watching the hunger in Leon’s expression simmer, his legs parting easily under that gentle, commanding grip.   
  
"Shite..." he breathed, only able to nod to Leon's question, his hands gripping the bars of the headboard tight.   
  
Leon barely had the knickers down before his mouth was on Piers, stripping the scrap of material away and getting his arms under the other's thighs, keeping them open for him as he licked at the soft folds before him. Fuck, but he tasted good. Slick and so very sweet against his tongue.   
  
"Fuck," Piers moaned, his arms trembling from how hard he fought to keep them in their place. To keep from reaching out and tangling his fingers in that lilac hair. Arceus, he wanted to pull at that hair, let Leon know just how good that felt.   
  
Leon ground his hips against the bed, the lack of friction driving him wild in all the best ways. He flicked the tip of his tongue against Piers' clit, a metallic taste startling him for a moment before he realized what it was.   
  
"Ah," he said softly, licking his lips and grinning up at Piers. "Bit of decoration?" He ran a thumb over the little stud piercing, rubbing it between his fingers.   
  
"Wha—" Piers barely had time to register the question before pleasure rippled through his body. "B-bloody fuckin'—!" His hips bucked as Leon played with his piercing, a high-pitched moan escaping him.   
  
Oh fuck, oh fuck, that was—   
  
"Lee!” He begged, needing more, so badly. “Lee,  _ please _ !”   
  
His name being spoken like that, familiar and somehow more intimate than anything else was a shivery thrill that had Leon bending back to his task, fingers playing out a steady rhythm on Piers’ clit as he pushed his tongue back inside him, letting himself get lost in the ebb and flow of it.   
  
The creak of the headboard made him glance up, and he moaned at how tightly Piers was gripping it. "Sae guid," he said, pulling his mouth away for a moment. "Bonnie thing, keepin' yer hauns there lik'tha. I didnae have tae say a word, did I?"   
  
Piers shook his head, gasping for breath and squeezing his eyes shut. There was pride welling up in his chest under the dozen other distractions.  _ He _ had made Leon sound like that, made the elegant, learned veneer slip just a bit.   
  
Piers was so wet against his face, and Leon couldn't get enough. Each brush against sensitive nerves garnered a sound, a sweet cry of his name or the desperate pleas for more. He traded off, tongue keeping pace as he slipped two fingers into Piers, sucking at the cute little piercing that was already driving him mental.   
  
"Go on then," he said, shifting Piers' legs over his shoulders so he could get deeper. "Do as you like."   
  
A loud moan escaped Piers' throat. He couldn't help it, and his hips rolled, letting himself be moved. Piers immediately wrapped soft hair around his fingers, gripping tight, pleased when it made Leon groan.   
  
"Fuck!  _ Fuck _ !" He breathed, legs starting to tremble, thighs closing around Leon’s face, riding his mouth. He was getting so close so fast. "Fuckin' hells Lee... yer gonna be th' death o' me... ye know that?"   
  
Leon hummed playfully in acknowledgment, closing his eyes and basking in the feeling of hands in his hair as he set about finishing Piers off. He could do this for hours if Piers would let him, keep him on edge and soaking, backing down every time he begged to come. Rest his jaw a while and start all over again.   
  
He parted Piers' folds with his fingers, a faster pace than before as he fucked his tongue in deep, a mimicry of how badly he wanted to flip Piers over and drag him back onto his cock, pleasure him from behind while he played with his clit and bit at his neck.   
  
"Oh god, Lee!” Piers arched up, trying to keep up with the quick rhythm Leon was setting. His movements grew more erratic and his eyes fluttered closed, mouth falling open when Leon did something that set everything off in him. "Shite, m’gonna come! Fuckin' hell, m’gonna—m’gonna—"   
  
He did his best to ride it out, the force of it hitting harder than he’d expected. Leon kept his hands gripping Piers’ thighs, feeling them quiver under his fingers as he came, wet and messy and Piers felt like he might shake apart with how good it felt. Leon let him tighten and flutter around his tongue, lapping up every bit of it, not letting him squirm away when he grew oversensitive.   
  
Eventually, Leon leaned back for a moment, panting hard against Piers' stomach, catching his breath.   
  
He basked in the way Piers’ muscles jerked and twitched under his cheek for a while, grinding a heel against his cock to give himself some relief.   
  
He could leave it there. Let Piers recover and pause for another round later. Or…   
  
He didn't wait for Piers to stop trembling before he flipped him onto his stomach, dragged him up by the hips, and pushed his tongue right back in.   
  
Piers screamed.   
  
"F-fuckin' shite!" He moaned, hands scrabbling against the mattress. "T-too much! Sensitive!"   
  
He whimpered in pleasure when Leon’s only response was to speed up again. Piers gripped the sheets under him tightly, his cheek pressing against the pillow as he made soft, wounded noises. It hurt so perfectly and like  _ hell _ did he want Leon to stop.   
  
He wanted to be wrecked, for Leon to sate himself in him and  _ just keep going _ —   
  
Of course that was when Leon laughed, pulling away with a last flick of his tongue, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand. "You certain? Fuck, you taste so good."   
  
Piers reached back to grip Leon’s wrist. "No, no don't stop..." he whined softly. Leon rubbed his fingers gently at his clit, laying kisses along his spine. Piers wanted to come again so badly it was like a living thing clawing its way from his chest.   
  
Leon moved the soft, thick hair to the side, pressing his face to the back of Piers' neck. "Player's choice," he murmured. "I can finish on my own or I can take you just like this."   
  
That,  _ that _ , he wanted—   
  
"Please…please fuckin' take me!" he begged, uncaring of how he sounded. What did it matter, so long as Leon liked it and it got Piers what he needed? "Want yer cock inside me! Want ye to bloody ruin me, Lee!"   
  
Oh, but that was apparently  _ just _ what Leon wanted to hear.   
  
"Up," he said, voice low, tapping Piers' side. "Spread your legs for me."   
  
Piers shivered, lifting his hips, his upper half pressed against the mattress and the rest of him open and on display for Leon.  _ Do what you want with me _ , he thought hazily.   
  
"Lee..." He choked out, looking over his shoulder. He didn’t bother finishing the sentence.   
  
"Wish you could see yourself looking like that," Leon said, running his cock along the slickness of his cunt, teasing the both of them until he couldn't stand it anymore.   
  
He breathed out a sigh of contentment as he slid slowly into Piers, luxuriating in the warmth of the other's body. He went gently, though he knew Piers would smack him for it in any other situation. As it stood, Piers could only groan happily at being filled.   
  
"I'll give you what you want," he promised when he could feel the impatience in how Piers tried to coax him deeper. "Only, let me be sweet with you a while first."   
  
Piers buried his face against the mattress, huffing. "Fine... but ye better wreck me after," he muttered.   
  
"Deal," Leon said, running a hand through Piers' hair.   
  
He moved languidly, a steady in and out that kept them both wanting. There was something luxurious about being able to take his time with Piers, an indulgence he rarely got to have given his line of work. Trust was not an easy task. He leaned down to kiss the other’s temple and cheek, sliding his hand back around to start working Piers up again. He kept the same cadence, running his fingers along where he disappeared into Piers' body.   
  
Piers gripped at his hand, little mewls clawing their way up his throat with every joining of their hips. He was still sensitive from before, and the slow, loving pace simultaneously frustrated and thrilled him.    
  
"You feel so good around me," Leon whispered, moaning quietly and pushing Piers' hips low, keeping one hand under him and the other lacing through Piers' fingers against the sheets. He settled atop him more fully, rolling his hips to get a little deeper inside him and speeding up just enough, just enough, just—   
  
He let it build, keeping himself just out of reach of what he needed until he finally thrust hard, letting the wildfire blaze out of control. His hips snapped forward, and only his single-minded determination remained, focused entirely on his goal.   
  
"And you take me so fucking  _ well _ ," he growled, pinning Piers down with his weight and covering him fully with his body, the slick sound of him fucking in and out of the other obscene in the stillness of the flat. "Fuck Piers, c'mere sweetheart."   
  
As though they could get any closer. It still didn't feel like enough, skin to skin and as deep as he could go like this. Piers cried out, finally given what he wanted and somehow needing more.   
  
"Oh my god, yer so deep—ah!  _ Leon _ !" he gasped out, unable to do anything but take it.   
  
Leon gritted his teeth, driving in harder, reaching out to grip the headboard for leverage. There was nothing but Piers under him and the way his body was clenching around his cock and  _ heat and heat and heat _ . "Fuck, you're so tight." He pressed his face against Piers' hair for a moment before he leaned down, putting them cheek to cheek.   
  
"You're not going to get much rest tonight I'm afraid," he whispered, running his lips along the shell of the other's ear. "Cannae get enough of you. Going to keep you stuffed full and begging for it, keep you at the edge until you cannae take any more."   
  
He brought one hand down to tip Piers' face back towards him, slotting their mouths together, kissing him deep and slow in counterpoint to how hard he drove his hips into him.   
  
"And then," he murmured when they broke apart. "I'm going to coax out one more from you anyways."   
  
Those whispered words— _ whispered promises _ —were nearly enough to end things right there. Piers wanted it so badly, to have Leon as many times as they could both stand.   
  
"Please!"   
  
"Such a lovely word," Leon sighed, grinning. "Say it again for me."   
  
Piers couldn’t hold back the sound he made at that, fit to burst from how much heat flooded his face.   
  
"Please,  _ please _ Lee!"   
  
"You blush so prettily," Leon said, sucking in a sharp breath when Piers nearly took him over the edge with how he clenched around him. "Ah!  _ Fuck _ , Piers—"   
  
He pushed his fingers deep into the other, using the arm around him to roll them so he was on his back, Piers draped over him, back to front, planting his feet to thrust up hard. He moaned when the new angle let him see the way Piers' cunt spread around his fingers, the piercing pressed against his thumb.   
  
Arceus, he wasn't going to last, and he bit his lip, distracting himself with the way Piers' face was so close to his, the feeling of soft skin against his chest, how the sounds Piers made were sweeter than any he had ever heard.   
  
Everything spiraled, up and up and up, teetering along the edge until—   
  
"Fuck! Fuck Leon, m’gonna—!”   
  
"Come on, sweetheart, that's it," Leon crooned, closing his eyes and holding Piers close.   
  
It was going to be impossible to keep his hands to himself if this was what he could have every time he reached for Piers. He'd bribe the librarian with a thousand books if it meant he got to hear his beautiful voice breaking like that.   
  
"Let go, love. Come for me."   
  
Piers cried out his name, braced against Leon's shoulder and back bowed as the pleasure ripped through him, spasming around Leon’s cock. Deft fingers came away soaked when he slipped them from Piers' body to grip his hips, driving up into him a handful more times before he held on tightly and came deep inside him.   
  
"Oh fuck, oh fuck," he choked out, thrusting once, twice more, everything slick and loose and easy as he let some of it leak from Piers' hole.   
  
"Sh—nnh—shite!" Piers cursed under his breath. "So fuckin' much!"   
  
He trembled, his chest heaving with how labored his breathing was, whimpering as Leon rubbed gently at his clit, wringing him out while he knew he'd be over-sensitive. His eyes fluttered closed when Leon eased a third, weaker climax from him, a sweet ache that did little more than slip him that much deeper into how good he felt.   
  
Leon panted, trying to catch his breath as they slowly came back down to earth, petting over Piers' hips, up and down along his ribs. The world was quiet like this, and he was grateful for it. Eventually he mustered the energy to bring them to their sides, drawing Piers close to him and kissing him softly.   
  
His hands kneaded and squeezed at the other's back lazily, content to stay there for as long as Piers would let him. Piers felt like he was melting from how Leon's hands worked his back, nuzzling against his neck and returning the kiss.   
  
Perhaps it should have surprised him that someone so capable of intricate violence was such an affectionate lover.   
  
He thought about how free Leon was with his smiles and his puppy-ish enthusiasm for everything that wasn’t work and no, he supposed it didn’t surprise him in the least.   
  
That energy was certainly going to make things interesting.   
  
"Ye really gonna keep me up all night?" His voice was low, satisfied, and just a bit smug.   
  
Leon laughed, tucking some of Piers' hair behind his ear.   
  
"Unless you have a particularly strong objection to the idea," he said, kissing Piers' neck. "I don't think you realize just how much I've been wanting you."   
  
He flicked a finger quickly against Piers' nose, smiling innocently when it made the other jump. "Going to keep you right here, spread you out and have you as many times as you can stand. Make you mine, if you'll let me." He kissed Piers' fingers one by one. "You deserve to be spoiled."   
  
Piers swallowed hard, tipping his head back. Neck kisses were a favorite of his, and he liked that Leon seemed to enjoy them just as much. “Arceus, Lee, at least gimme a minute before ye go sayin’ things like that.”   
  
"Mm, if I must." It was accompanied by a mock-pout that Piers was going to have to watch out for.  _ Like a damn Yamper, he is. _ "I suppose I'll have to content myself with holding you like this."   
  
He said the last gently, unable to stop the smile that was growing. He was so happy that Piers was here with him. Raising his child, going on dates with him…   
  
He bit his lip.   
  
They’d have to address that before anything else.   
  
"I'm sorry for not telling you what I do," he said quietly. "I didnae want you to...I had…ah, but it was still wrong of me to keep it from you. If anything, you needed to know so you could decide if this was...if this was worthwhile to you. It can be dangerous. Of course, I'll do what I can to minimize that danger, but it'll be there nonetheless."   
  
He leaned back, a serious look on his face. He hadn't wanted Piers to look at him any differently, but that wasn't his decision to make.   
  
"Whatever you choose to do, I'll still be there for Zel," he promised. "I meant what I said before. I want him to be in better hands than mine. Safer ones than mine."   
  
Piers played with a bit of Leon's hair as he listened to him. The look on the other man's face was earnest, his words carrying honesty in them. "I know ye will, luv. I forgive ye." He kissed Leon's chin tenderly, the closest thing to him at that moment. "And don't fret about it. Besides, I think I was already in danger before I started datin' ye."   
  
Leon frowned, shifting up to hover over Piers, instinctively shielding him from the world even if there was no immediate threat. "What do you mean?"   
  
Piers' gaze was just as steady. "I know ye noticed th' bloke went straight for me. It couldn't 'ave been due to ye because we’ve not come out to th' public yet..."   
  
"Anyone with me is a target, whether they're a lover or not," Leon mused, tilting his head. "But you think there's another reason someone wants you dead?”   
  
_ O'shea, _ he thought. He had wondered, though it was a common enough name. He looked at Piers a long while, searching.   
  
"If," he started, leaning down to brush their mouths together for a moment, far too tempted if he even so much as glanced at those lips. " _ If _ there is anything that would hinder my ability to protect you, I would like to know about it. I can't keep you safe if I don't know who to watch for."   
  
Piers hummed against Leon's mouth, sighing when he pulled away. "Think I was targeted cause o' my Da. It's not the first time it’s happened. Th' only men who would go after me to fuck my Da' over would be any of th' men loyal to Rose. He’s always been protective of me, an' seein' as 'ow ye took over Rose’s empire...well, 'm sure I ain't gotta tell ye that there’s always the possibility ye might get backstabbed sooner rather than later.”   
  
"They've already tried," Leon said, nodding. "I'm sure it won't be the last I see of them either."   
  
He hesitated for a moment.   
  
There was something unsettling about the way Piers said that. The implication of getting his back stabbed meant he would have to trust someone enough to turn his back in the first place.   
  
His blood ran cold.   
  
Was Piers warning him? And if that was the case, had tonight been like…like…   
  
He thought of the way Rose had asked him to gain information from the woman who had eventually birthed Zel because of the connections she’d had to someone Rose wanted dead. He felt sick to his stomach, wondering what he would do if Piers was—   
  
"I dinnae want to make assumptions," he said slowly. "Because if your family is who I'm thinking they are, then they’ve treated me as fair as any when they didnae have to."   
  
_ Please, _ he begged in the safety of his own mind.  _ Please just let me have this. Don’t take this from me. _ _   
_ _   
_ He wouldn't be able to bear it if…   
  
"Piers, did...is this something O’shea asked you to do? Am I...am I a job?"   
  
A moment and a blink of confusion before the explosion.   
  
" _ What the fuck _ ?” Piers yelled, shoving his hands against Leon's chest to push him back, anger and something wounded playing out on his face.   
  
"How bloody dare ye!" He spit, a foul taste in his mouth and a hurt feeling in his chest. He rolled away from Leon, curling in on himself. He barely held back the sob building it’s way up his throat, a thousand warring thoughts whirling through his mind.   
  
And the one that stood out most was that Leon had just confirmed everything he’d been afraid his Da was keeping from him.   
  
"For fuck’s sake, I don't even know for bloody sure if my Da's fuckin' mob... an' 'm bein' accused o'—bloody  _ fuckin’ _ hell..."   
  
Leon felt a sense of relief sweeping through him at the outburst.   
  
He had always been better than most at reading the intent behind the words, and Piers’ were nothing but confused and upset. No malice, nothing hidden he needed to fear. There was history there, clearly. Had O’shea never been upfront with his family about his role in the Mob? Likely not, if Piers hadn’t understood why he would be suspicious. He sidled closer to the other, wishing he hadn't had to tread over that wire to be certain.   
  
"Piers," he said softly. "Look at me?"   
  
Piers didn't turn towards him immediately. The assumption, whether it was meant or not,  _ hurt _ . The accusation that his Da' would ever even  _ think _ to use him to sleep with someone as a job made him feel sick. It took some sniffing and Piers wiping at his eyes with his wrists before he just gave up and looked at Leon over his shoulder. He looked a mess, and Leon was grateful for the honesty in such a raw expression.   
  
"I didn't know he hadn't..." Leon started, before shaking his head. "I didn't mean to bring out anything that you two hadn't talked about yet. I was just..." He took a deep breath, running a hand through his hair. Words had abandoned him today.   
  
"I needed to give you an out, in case that had been what was happening. There were many times I wished I had been given one, and I didn't want you to have to endure anything that didn't...didn't make you happy."   
  
He hesitantly held a hand over Piers' shoulder, waiting for permission, if it would be granted. "I'm so sorry," he whispered, wishing…   
  
Wishing what?   
  
What could he have said or done differently?   
  
In what world could he  _ not _ ask, when it meant that Piers was potentially stuck in a situation he'd never wanted to be in? When it meant that Leon was possibly falling in love with someone just waiting to use him as so many had before? Or hating him because he was taking what wasn't his and hadn't been given willingly?   
  
He swallowed hard, trying to keep the tears at bay. It wasn't fair of him to make Piers feel anything but his own feelings on the matter. It was only that thought that kept them back.   
  
Piers wiped at his eyes again, rolling back over to face him.   
  
" _ That’s _ why?” He asked, voice choked. “No, that was…ye don't need to apologize. I get it. I wasn’t thinkin’, it just hit so suddenly. I wasn’t ready for havin’ to think about that." He reached up to lace his fingers with Leon's instead of letting him touch his shoulders.   
  
Closing his eyes, Piers wanted to bury his face against Leon's chest where he wouldn’t have to look at those sad eyes. Did he have the right? He had over-reacted and hurt Leon in turn. He understood the other’s reasoning for what he’d asked, when it was laid out like that. “I mean, it wasn't fair for me to accuse ye a while ago for only wantin' to date me because o' Zel...if ye can forgive me o' my accusation... I can forgive ye o' yers. I don't know 'ow things work in the Mob, or what you were asked to do before…but 'm sure 'll learn very quickly..."   
  
Leon took in a shaky breath, pulling Piers close to him, kissing the top of his head and stroking the other's hair. He was sure the other could feel how fast his heart was beating, Buneary-quick in his chest.   
  
"Nothing to forgive," he murmured. "And I'd just as soon see that you never had to find out anything about it. You or Zel. I want you both safe and as far from that world as possible. But I don't think there's a chance of that turning out well, not when this is the potential outcome." And hell if he wasn't worried about whenever O'shea found out he'd been the one to accidentally grass him. But he'd cross that bridge when they came to it.   
  
"We'll figure something out," he said, and the relief was so strong it nearly drowned him.   
  
"Fuck, I'm just..." He let a few tears escape him, where Piers couldn't see. "Just glad that..." He couldn't finish the thought. He hated that Piers was the exception, rather than the rule. If the world were more like the man in his arms, it would be a far kinder place and better off for it.   
  
He tightened his arms around Piers, taking his hand to kiss his palm.   
  
Piers let him before he gently slid it from his grasp to cup Leon's cheek instead. His expression softened and he kissed Leon’s jaw. "Shhh...."   
  
Piers gently coaxed Leon fully into his arms, holding the back of his head with one hand while he slid his other arm over Leon's shoulder. "It's jus' us right now luv. Ye can be open w' me." As soft as Leon was with him.   
  
Leon brushed the backs of his knuckles over Piers' cheeks in turn, wiping away the lingering tracks.

"Starting to figure that out," he said, a shaky smile at the corners of his mouth.   
  
He'd always been something of a silent tears sort, even long before it had become a necessity rather than a simple component of who he was. But there was something good that settled within his ribcage, knowing that he needn’t make a sound for Piers to hear how loudly his soul had hurt. Good and yet bittersweet, because if Piers could hear that despite everything remaining quiet as he cried, tears running over and between Piers' fingertips, it meant Piers understood on a more visceral level than Leon would ever wish on another person.   
  
Perhaps that was his answer then. Life wasn't often kind either way. And maybe that meant it was better that they stay close to him, where at least he stood a chance of keeping them as safe as he could. If he shut them out and they got hurt  _ anyways _ , he'd never be able to forgive himself.   
  
"If I try to keep my distance," he said when the tears eventually slowed. "Dinnae let me."   
  
Piers dried the other’s cheeks, feeling the emotions Leon silently processed like they were his own. Piers silently swore he'd make Rose pay for anything and everything he ever put Leon through. He wasn't sure whether whatever Rose did to Leon was worse than what Rose had done to him, but he also wasn't sure if he really wanted to know. Either way, their revenge would be one. His revenge for Jaxon and the plan Rose had made for them, and for ever even setting sights on taking Leon under his wing and then abusing that trust.   
  
He could multitask.   
  
"Like I’d ever let ye do such a thing," he half-chuckled, clicking his tongue at him. "Don't think Zel would ever forgive me if I did."   
  
Leon lay back, taking Piers with him.   
  
"Thank you for that," he whispered, holding Piers' face in his hands. "And the same goes for you, what you said about being open. About it just being us here. Know that the offer will stand anytime you need it."   
  
He didn’t know if he’d ever be able to, and yet hearing it from Leon gave him hope he’d be ready at some point to do some trusting of his own. "Then I’ll be sure to 'old ye to that." He smiled softly as he leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to the other’s lips. “Just…just not tonight.”   
  
_ Not tonight then _ , Leon thought. It was alright, there would be time for Piers to tell him who had caused him pain. To share the name of who would end up next on Leon's list. He'd make sure they would suffer as long as he could keep them alive before he ended them.   
  
He slipped his tongue into the other's mouth, increasingly aware of the way Piers felt on top of him. Thinking about something else would do them both good, the night having taken a different turn than he’d expected.   
  
_ Not a bad one, though _ , he thought with surprise. It had been a long time since he had felt this close to another person. It would be a while yet before he could trust that as a truth rather than just a product of his own wants and how much he liked Piers, but the hope was impossible to quell.   
  
In the meantime, however…   
  
"Mm, if you’re needing a distraction, I have another promise to keep, if I recall," he said, skimming his fingers along Piers' sides, cradling his hips.   
  
He let everything else on his mind go. Grief stood no chance against the way Piers' eyes darkened and his breath quickened just a bit. He sealed it away, letting himself get caught up by something far more pleasant instead. He nudged Piers’ hips back until he was sliding between his folds, still slick with his come. He grinned, a warning and a promise all at once.   
  
"Guess I'd better get to it, then."

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to my mafia AU! Hope you all like Mob Boss Leon~ :D


End file.
